Four local teams playing for section volleyball titles
| Thursday, Nov 20 2008 01:30 AM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 02:07 PM
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Division INo. 2 Liberty at No. 1 Clovis West
Division IINo. 2 Hanford at No. 1 Garces
Division IIINo. 3 Tehachapi at No. 1 Exeter
Division IVNo. 2 Visalia-Central Valley Christian at No. 1 Bakersfield Christian
All matches at 7 p.m.
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Bakersfield Christian's Breann Goodmon makes a kill attempt Oct. 14 during the match against Tehachapi. She is flanked by teammates Justine Schoneveld (12) and Molly Armstrong (2). BCHS will host Visalia-Central Valley Christian in tonight's Central Section Division IV championship.
Clovis-Buchanan volleyball coach Marian Battles, whose team has played Clovis West three times this year, says the Golden Eagles' blocking is formidable.
Bakersfield High coach Tom Clarke, whose team fell in four games to Clovis West in Tuesday's Division I Central Section semifinals, marvels at the Eagles' speed and defense.
Liberty coach Lean Slayton, whose team is charged with facing Clovis West on the road in tonight's Division I championship at 7, singles out her opponents' setter.
Suffice it to say top-seeded Clovis West (26-6) has a well-rounded team.
"I don't think there's much of a weak spot on their entire court," Slayton said.
But No. 2 Liberty (29-7), fresh off a thrilling five-set victory against three-time defending champion Buchanan, will bring its own talent to the table.
Junior outside hitter Mariah Alvidrez averages 3.6 kills and 4.9 digs a game. Sophomore Mackenzie Carter checks in at 2.0 kills a game and senior Mikinzi DeMarco at 5.9 digs a game. Against Buchanan, Alvidrez had 14 kills and 28 digs, Carter had 17 kills and DeMarco 28 digs.
The Clovis West trio of Dylan Wells, Mikayla Pierce and Lauren Albertson has combined for 5.6 kills a game this season.
Liberty, which won a Division II state championship in 2002, will look for the third section title in program history.
"It's going to come down to us playing our game," Slayton said. "They're very scrappy, so we have to out-last them. That's what a Valley championship is all about."
Three other Kern County teams play for the same honor at 7 tonight. In Division II, No. 2 seed Hanford (21-9-1) visits No. 1 Garces (27-5) in a matchup of last season's Div. III and IV section champions.
"We're really similar, so it should be a good match," Garces coach Kim Harper said. "They sound good on paper, but I have a lot of confidence in my team. If we show up, I'll be happy afterwards."
Top-seeded Bakersfield Christian (24-6) and No. 2 Visalia-Central Valley Christian (22-9) renew their long-standing rivalry in the Division IV championship tonight.
First-year Eagles coach Michel Robinson led the Eagles to a four-game victory against CVC early this season.
"After watching the girls (in their semifinal victory Tuesday), we were clicking really well together," Robinson said. "I think we're moving forward."
In Division III, No. 3 Tehachapi (33-4) travels to top-seeded Exeter (23-4) for the title. The Warriors are in their fourth section final in Sally White's seven-year tenure at the school, but they're looking for championship No. 1.
"In the past we had one or two strong players, but this year, I don't have any players who hardly get in," White said. "We've got more options, more weapons."
